Robby Krieger Organization – R.K.O. Live 1995

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This was a band Robby formed in the mid nineties with
Skip Vanwinkl on Hammond Organ, and Dale Alexander on Drums who had previously played with The Robby Krieger Band.



Only released one LP in 1995 called 'RKO Live!' which featured several Doors covers including a rather cool Riders On The Storm.
Robby's voice was always pretty awful which was proably the reason why this never hit the dizzy heights but the lads do a pretty decent job all said and done and the album is well worth seeking out.
The video of the albums Spanish Caravan medley which incorporates jazz legend Chick Coreas (of Return To Forever fame) Spain was a fave of VH1/MTV and I still have it on an old video somewhere.....

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Robby Krieger Organization was a '90's jazz combo consisting of Krieger, organist Skip Vanwinkl, and percussionist Dale Alexander. Their only recording was the 1995 CD RKO Live!, released on One Way Records. (The spartan packaging and sound quality have led some to mistake it for a bootleg). It mostly contained mellow jazz fusion instrumentals, including compositions by Miles Davis ("So What") and Chick Korea ("Spain"). The trio also interpret a few Doors songs, including the well-known Krieger compositions "Light My Fire" and "Spanish Caravan". Krieger sang the lead vocals on the Doors songs adequately enough, although vocals are still not his strong point. RKO Live! is not a bad showcase for Krieger, though its mellow jazz sound is probably too mellow for most Doors fans' tastes -- as well as my own.

Track Listing:

1. Revelation
2. Back Door Man
3. Blue Note Shuffle
4. Spanish Caravan / Spain
5. Riders On The Storm
6. So What
7. African Daisy
8. Gavin Leggit
9. Light My Fire
Rarebirds Review Pages

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Robby Krieger Organization - RKO Live!, 1995 (Jazz-Rock)

"Recall the brilliant Paul Rothchild-produced Doors album "Strange Days." Such a tightly structured concept album, perhaps reflecting the all-time greatest blend of unity of a group into single songs (and mood). Robby Krieger, without a pick and employing bottleneck, did the beautiful high-pitched guitar glides and slides and eerie twangs on various songs, played the acid solo in "When the Music's Over," electrified in "My Eyes Have Seen You," and dished out regular great blues and hard rock guitar. The Doors were so together, man--it was not even Jim Morrison and The Doors, always The Doors. But this is a very talented great guitarist, who wrote "Light My Fire," after all. What's he like on his own?
Many years have passed since then, and Robby has become his own man. His accomplishments are many, and his post-Doors production exceeds that of the legendary group. Still, he found demand for Doors songs during his solo career was always there, and in fact increased over time. The Robby Krieger Organization is a revolving door band, no pun intended, known for playing mostly Doors numbers and jazz covers, although they have a few jazz songs of their own. The group on this live CD comprises only Robby and his two-person accompaniment, who perform four Doors songs along with several covers of jazzy instrumental numbers and Robby's own heavy, fuzz-boxey "Gavin Leggit." The songs were performed in small venues fit for the jazz numbers that were included. Robby's beautiful Doors classic "Spanish Caravan" and Chick Corea's "Spain" are combined in a flamenco medley. Another of the jazz numbers, "African Daisy," is a fine composition by RKO percussionist Dale Alexander.

The solos of Robby and his mates cook in the jazz tunes, but I have to be honest, "Spanish Caravan" and the other Doors songs are the highlight. But they are less in the vein of The Doors and more so in that of Robby's group, which is jazz. This includes Willie Dixon's "Backdoor Man," such a defining cover for Jim Morrison's stage persona, but here with Robby on vocals instead. Robby's "Light My Fire," my favorite song of all time, has its solo considerably extended, lending itself to jazzy interpretation. "Riders on the Storm" fits in well because it is arguably more jazzy than any Doors song in original form. But here, it is Skip Vanwinkl's Hammond organ rather than Ray Manzarek's piano we hear, along with Robby's liquid guitar, gliding and flowing, producing a great variation on this hypnotic song. Still, for all I've said about jazz, I must emphasize the eclecticism on the CD, for that is what Robby is all about. He is often described as a flamenco guitarist for want of a single adjective, but The Doors--they were a psychedelic blues band, right? Enough of regular rock and blues is here, along with flamenco and all that jazz. RKO Live is a rich experience, and one of my favorites."

1. Revelation
2. Back Door Man
3. Blue Note Shuffle
4. Spainish Caravan/Spain
5. Riders On The Storm
6. So What
7. African Daisy
8. Gavin Leggit
9. Light My Fire

Robbie Krieger - guitar, vocals, synthesizer
Skip Vanwinkl - Hammond organ, bass pedals, keyboards
Dale Alexander - drums, percussion, background vocals